State and finance police on
Tuesday were executing 50 arrest warrants related to a probe
into alleged infiltration of Veneto's economic fabric by members
of the Campania-based Camorra mafia, sources said.
The arrests were made in Venice and Casal di Principe, near
Caserta, as well as in other locations.
The suspects are accused of mafia association, among other
crimes.
Among the arrests was a local mayor, Eraclea lawyer Mirco
Mestre, the first Veneto citizen to be arrested on mafia
charges.
Mestre is accused of vote buying.
"This operation has shown for the first time the presence of
structured organised crime in Veneto territory, deeply
penetrating the economic and banking sectors," said Venice Chief
Prosecutor Bruno Cherchi.
He said there had been mafia vote buying dating back to 2016.
National Anti-mafia Prosecutor Ferdinando Cafiero De Raho
said "the Camorra has taken over where the Brenta mafia left
off," referring to a local criminal organisation that has been
largely defeated.
The Camorra group busted Tuesday had links to the Casalesi
linked to the Bianco and Bidognetti clans whose boss Francesco
is known as 'Midnight Fatty', police said.
Meanwhile, five young people who allegedly set light to a
dummy dressed up like a police officer and put up a banner
saying State witnesses should be burned during a recent festival
in the province of Naples were banned from living in the area of
the incident.
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